1882
1882 Dans les Roses by Renoir
2003 SOLD for $ 23.5M by Sotheby's
Monsieur and Madame Clapisson are wealthy rentiers, 46 and 33 years old. In 1882 Monsieur begins collecting art. He invites Renoir to make a portrait of his wife in the garden of their Neuilly mansion.
This oil on canvas 100 x 81 cm features Valentine Clapisson taking tea, seated on a bench amidst the roses, with a verdant background. Renoir reminded afterward that he had a real pleasure painting this charming and quiet figure, gently smiling to the artist. An umbrella beside her confirms the sunny weather.
In a current view, it is one of the best portrait paintings by Renoir. In period the husband considered its bright colors as daring and rejected it. Renoir kept it for some time under a title that would not shock the bourgeois. It was later known with a better title, Dans les roses. He made another portrait which was accepted by the jealous husband.
Out of view from 1937, Dans les Roses was sold by Sotheby's on May 6, 2003 for $ 23.5M, lot 18. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
In the same theme with another sitter and in a more impressionist touch, L'Ombrelle, oil on canvas 62 x 51 cm painted in 1878, was sold for £ 9.7M by Christie's on February 6, 2013.
This oil on canvas 100 x 81 cm features Valentine Clapisson taking tea, seated on a bench amidst the roses, with a verdant background. Renoir reminded afterward that he had a real pleasure painting this charming and quiet figure, gently smiling to the artist. An umbrella beside her confirms the sunny weather.
In a current view, it is one of the best portrait paintings by Renoir. In period the husband considered its bright colors as daring and rejected it. Renoir kept it for some time under a title that would not shock the bourgeois. It was later known with a better title, Dans les roses. He made another portrait which was accepted by the jealous husband.
Out of view from 1937, Dans les Roses was sold by Sotheby's on May 6, 2003 for $ 23.5M, lot 18. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
In the same theme with another sitter and in a more impressionist touch, L'Ombrelle, oil on canvas 62 x 51 cm painted in 1878, was sold for £ 9.7M by Christie's on February 6, 2013.
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1882 MANET
1
Lilas et Roses
2018 SOLD for $ 13M by Christie's
In 1882 the health condition of Edouard Manet worsens. Reclusive in his studio, he continues to work but in smaller formats.
Manet has many friends who visit him. He has always enjoyed to meet women. After they leave, he likes to paint the bouquets they have brought. The choice of flowers nicely reflects the visitor's personality. This joyous freshness certainly soothes the sufferings of the artist. Flowers are a reminder of how much life is transient.
These ultimate still lifes display roses, peonies or lilacs on a neutral background. The language of flowers is very effective in its simplicity of brush strokes and colors. The stems and the meniscus appear through the glass vase.
On May 8, 2018, Christie's sold for $ 13M from a lower estimate of $ 7M Lilas et roses, oil on canvas 32 x 25 cm, lot 7. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
Manet had presented this floral still life to the daughter of his doctor in November 1882. In her enthusiastic gratitude, the young woman commented that such flowers will never fade. Acquired in 1938 by Abby and John D. Jr, this very elegant small painting adorned the apartments of two generations of the Rockefeller family.
Manet has many friends who visit him. He has always enjoyed to meet women. After they leave, he likes to paint the bouquets they have brought. The choice of flowers nicely reflects the visitor's personality. This joyous freshness certainly soothes the sufferings of the artist. Flowers are a reminder of how much life is transient.
These ultimate still lifes display roses, peonies or lilacs on a neutral background. The language of flowers is very effective in its simplicity of brush strokes and colors. The stems and the meniscus appear through the glass vase.
On May 8, 2018, Christie's sold for $ 13M from a lower estimate of $ 7M Lilas et roses, oil on canvas 32 x 25 cm, lot 7. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
Manet had presented this floral still life to the daughter of his doctor in November 1882. In her enthusiastic gratitude, the young woman commented that such flowers will never fade. Acquired in 1938 by Abby and John D. Jr, this very elegant small painting adorned the apartments of two generations of the Rockefeller family.
#LiveLikeARockefeller ‘Lilas et roses’ by #EdouardManet has brought joy to 2 generations of the Rockefeller family. “I remember very clearly this small...picture hanging in Mother’s sitting room,” David Rockefeller recalled. “It is...a painting that gives ongoing pleasure.” pic.twitter.com/FIUWrXlDTP
— Christie's (@ChristiesInc) February 11, 2018
2
Bouquet de Pivoines
2010 SOLD for £ 7.7M by Sotheby's
Bouquet de pivoines, oil on canvas 55 x 42 cm painted by Manet in 1882, was sold for £ 7.7M from a lower estimate of £ 4M by Sotheby's on June 22, 2010, lot 34. It had been earlier owned by Max Liebermann. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
The red and pink peonies are in full bloom. The glass vase is in orientalist style.
The red and pink peonies are in full bloom. The glass vase is in orientalist style.
3
Vase de Fleurs, Roses et Lilas
2024 SOLD for $ 10M by Sotheby's
Vase de Fleurs, Roses et Lilas, oil on canvas 56 x 35 cm painted by Manet in 1882, was sold for $ 10M from a lower estimate of $ 7M by Sotheby's on May 16, 2024, lot 31. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
Response by Grok :
Quote
Sotheby's @Sothebys May 16, 2024
#AuctionUpdate: It’s almost impossible not to love a floral painting by Édouard Manet, as recognized by the New York sale room tonight. ‘Vase de fleurs, roses et lilas’ sold for $10M. #SothebysModern
Response by Grok :
Quote
Sotheby's @Sothebys May 16, 2024
#AuctionUpdate: It’s almost impossible not to love a floral painting by Édouard Manet, as recognized by the New York sale room tonight. ‘Vase de fleurs, roses et lilas’ sold for $10M. #SothebysModern
- The painting "Vase de fleurs, roses et lilas" by Édouard Manet, sold for $10M at Sotheby’s in 2024, reflects his late-career shift toward still-life works, a move influenced by his deteriorating health and a desire to capture beauty in simplicity, as noted in the 2019 Getty Museum exhibition catalog "Manet and Modern Beauty."
- This sale price underscores a robust market for Impressionist works, with a 2025 ArtTactic study reporting a 6.2% drop in global auction sales, suggesting Manet’s piece outperformed market trends, possibly due to its rarity and historical significance from the Musée d'Orsay collection.
- The artwork’s depiction of flowers in a crystal vase aligns with 19th-century French fascination with naturalism, supported by research in the 2021 Kunsthalle Bremen catalog "Manet and Astruc," which highlights how Manet’s floral studies were inspired by his friend Zacharie Astruc’s botanical interests.
1882-1885 Dans les Coulisses by Degas
2018 SOLD for £ 9M by Christie's
Edgar Degas obtained through the support of his childhood friend the playwright Ludovic Halévy an unlimited access to the Paris Opera. In the early 1880s he spent a considerable time therein, seeking the atmosphere in the rehearsal and resting rooms of the artists and in the backside.
On February 27, 2018, Christie's sold for £ 9M an intimist and spontaneous scene titled Dans les coulisses, lot 20. Typical of the period 1882-1885, this 67 x 38 cm artwork is a pastel on linen, a rare combination even for this artist who was looking for unprecedented solutions.
A woman and a man stand side by side in the stage wings. The young woman holds a sheet of music : this simple information is enough to identify that she is a singer waiting before performing her role. She is focused on her observation of the stage out of field of the image. She does not care about the man who is yet very close to her. He is an abonné who has subscribed for his privilege to wander everywhere inside the theater.
The composition is bold, just as Degas loved it. The man who is somehow an intruder is half off the field. The very demanding artist was satisfied with its ambience effect. In 1889 it was included in the short list of fifteen highly significant examples from his art selected by Degas himself for a lithographic edition by Thornley.
Please watch the video shared by Christie's.
On February 27, 2018, Christie's sold for £ 9M an intimist and spontaneous scene titled Dans les coulisses, lot 20. Typical of the period 1882-1885, this 67 x 38 cm artwork is a pastel on linen, a rare combination even for this artist who was looking for unprecedented solutions.
A woman and a man stand side by side in the stage wings. The young woman holds a sheet of music : this simple information is enough to identify that she is a singer waiting before performing her role. She is focused on her observation of the stage out of field of the image. She does not care about the man who is yet very close to her. He is an abonné who has subscribed for his privilege to wander everywhere inside the theater.
The composition is bold, just as Degas loved it. The man who is somehow an intruder is half off the field. The very demanding artist was satisfied with its ambience effect. In 1889 it was included in the short list of fifteen highly significant examples from his art selected by Degas himself for a lithographic edition by Thornley.
Please watch the video shared by Christie's.
Edgar Degas’s ‘Dans Les Coulisses’ will star in our Impressionist and Modern Art evening auction on 27 Feb. Chosen by Degas as one of few works to be reproduced in his lifetime, this work has not been seen in public for 10 years #Impressionism #AuctionHighlight #Christies pic.twitter.com/i8ZOu2jLg3
— Christie's (@ChristiesInc) January 29, 2018
1882 Raccommodeuses de Filets dans les Dunes by Van Gogh
2018 SOLD for € 7.1M by Artcurial
In January 1882 Vincent van Gogh left the family home to settle in The Hague. Once again he had quarreled with his parents. He is rejected by women excepted by prostitutes. He would have liked to be a missionary serving the rural working class but he was too undisciplined. He possibly already had a dementia attack.
At almost 29 it is high time for Vincent to find a job. He imagines that by becoming an artist he may realize his dream of social helping. Fortunately his younger brother Theo supports him. Theo who is an art dealer as an employee of Goupil will provide Vincent with the hardware he needs for his new vocation. Vincent begins to inform Theo of his progress in a detailed and heart felt correspondence.
Vincent admires the painters of rural scenes. He works a bit with his distant cousin Anton Mauve but gets angry very early with him. In The Hague and at the seaside in Scheveningen, Vincent has no other influences than nature and his craze for Millet.
Vincent will however become a great artist because he is very sensitive to colors. In Scheveningen he gets into the habit of painting outdoor before, during and after the squalls. The attitudes of women who mend the fishing nets resemble Millet's peasants in the fields, and these widely extended nets create a multi-hued ground. The tumultuous sky anticipates the masterpieces of the end of his life.
Raccommodeuses de filets dans les dunes, oil on paper 42 x 63 cm painted in August 1882 and laid down on panel, was sold for € 7.1M from a lower estimate of € 3M by Artcurial on June 4, 2018, lot 14. Please watch the video shared by the auction house. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
At almost 29 it is high time for Vincent to find a job. He imagines that by becoming an artist he may realize his dream of social helping. Fortunately his younger brother Theo supports him. Theo who is an art dealer as an employee of Goupil will provide Vincent with the hardware he needs for his new vocation. Vincent begins to inform Theo of his progress in a detailed and heart felt correspondence.
Vincent admires the painters of rural scenes. He works a bit with his distant cousin Anton Mauve but gets angry very early with him. In The Hague and at the seaside in Scheveningen, Vincent has no other influences than nature and his craze for Millet.
Vincent will however become a great artist because he is very sensitive to colors. In Scheveningen he gets into the habit of painting outdoor before, during and after the squalls. The attitudes of women who mend the fishing nets resemble Millet's peasants in the fields, and these widely extended nets create a multi-hued ground. The tumultuous sky anticipates the masterpieces of the end of his life.
Raccommodeuses de filets dans les dunes, oil on paper 42 x 63 cm painted in August 1882 and laid down on panel, was sold for € 7.1M from a lower estimate of € 3M by Artcurial on June 4, 2018, lot 14. Please watch the video shared by the auction house. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
1882 MONET
Intro
Born in Paris but raised in Le Havre, Claude Monet has always been inspired by the landscapes of Normandie. Around 1858 Eugène Boudin inspired him to make outdoor painting.
His private life became complicated after the untimely death of his wife Camille in 1879. He did not stop working, extensively exploring the countryside at Vétheuil and executing in 1881 about 20 views of seaside, cliffs and harbor at and near Fécamp.
His private life became complicated after the untimely death of his wife Camille in 1879. He did not stop working, extensively exploring the countryside at Vétheuil and executing in 1881 about 20 views of seaside, cliffs and harbor at and near Fécamp.
1
Sur la Falaise à Pourville
2014 SOLD for $ 8.2M by Sotheby's
Forced by financial hardship and unable to pay the rent at Vétheuil, Claude Monet relocated in December 1881 to Poissy with Alice and the eight children of their recomposed family. Alice's husband Hoschedé did not join. Deciding in February to make a solo trip to the cliffs and countryside of Normandie, Monet left the whole family behind.
Dieppe did not match Monet's quest for lonesome quietness. One week after arriving, he went to stay in an inn in the very small seaside village of Pourville, 5 km west of the city. In the absence of any touristic activity around him in that season, he was able to re-concentrate in painting. His excursions led him to Varengeville, a few km further west.
This first Pourville stay is a restart for his art. He empties his images of any character and of every sign of modern life to better focus on the light and color of earth, water and sky. He spends more time than ever to the finish in a desire to produce the best possible rendering of nature. The composition is simpler. In the following year, he settles in Giverny.
Sur la Falaise à Pourville, oil on canvas 60 x 81 cm, was sold for $ 8.2M from a lower estimate of $ 5M by Sotheby's on May 7, 2014, lot 10. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
Dieppe did not match Monet's quest for lonesome quietness. One week after arriving, he went to stay in an inn in the very small seaside village of Pourville, 5 km west of the city. In the absence of any touristic activity around him in that season, he was able to re-concentrate in painting. His excursions led him to Varengeville, a few km further west.
This first Pourville stay is a restart for his art. He empties his images of any character and of every sign of modern life to better focus on the light and color of earth, water and sky. He spends more time than ever to the finish in a desire to produce the best possible rendering of nature. The composition is simpler. In the following year, he settles in Giverny.
Sur la Falaise à Pourville, oil on canvas 60 x 81 cm, was sold for $ 8.2M from a lower estimate of $ 5M by Sotheby's on May 7, 2014, lot 10. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
2
Varengeville
2014 SOLD for £ 5.7M by Christie's
In Monet's views of Varengeville-sur-Mer, civilization is reduced to the building and steeple of the church in the distance on the horizon.
Much more intensely than in his previous period, Monet permeates into the differences of atmospheres by the hours of the day. He painted four times Varengeville in a coherent series that anticipates by a decade the poplars and the Rouen cathedrals.
Varengeville at sunset, oil on canvas 65 x 81 cm, was sold for £ 5.7M from a lower estimate of £ 4M by Christie's on February 4, 2014, lot 16. Please watch the video shared by the auction house. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
The mist brings a great subtlety to the warm colors.
Much more intensely than in his previous period, Monet permeates into the differences of atmospheres by the hours of the day. He painted four times Varengeville in a coherent series that anticipates by a decade the poplars and the Rouen cathedrals.
Varengeville at sunset, oil on canvas 65 x 81 cm, was sold for £ 5.7M from a lower estimate of £ 4M by Christie's on February 4, 2014, lot 16. Please watch the video shared by the auction house. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
The mist brings a great subtlety to the warm colors.
3
Le Chemin Creux
2017 SOLD for £ 5.7M by Christie's
Monet was back from Normandy in mid April 1882. Durand-Ruel bought 23 paintings from that stay, enabling the artist to rent in Pourville a villa where he spent the summer and early fall with Alice and the eight children.
Le Chemin creux, oil on canvas 60 x 74 cm painted in that summer, features a sandy path in the hills near Pourville, leading downwards to the sea in a surrounding of dense vegetation. In an exception to his exclusion of human presence, a tiny figure is silhouetted in the shadow at mid distance on the path.
It was sold for £ 5.7M from a lower estimate of £ 2M by Christie's on June 27, 2017, lot 13. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
Le Chemin creux, oil on canvas 60 x 74 cm painted in that summer, features a sandy path in the hills near Pourville, leading downwards to the sea in a surrounding of dense vegetation. In an exception to his exclusion of human presence, a tiny figure is silhouetted in the shadow at mid distance on the path.
It was sold for £ 5.7M from a lower estimate of £ 2M by Christie's on June 27, 2017, lot 13. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
1882 Femme tenant un Bouquet by Seurat
2014 SOLD for $ 5.3M by Sotheby's
Georges Seurat was a prolific draughtsman and a scarce painter. Paraphrasing Hokusai, Gustave Kahn significantly named his friend "the young man mad about drawing".
He rubs a black Conté graphite crayon on papier Michallet, varying the pressure to obtainthe whole scale of grays. Surfaces left blank provide a contrast in brightness with the rest of the image. The Michallet paper is a coarse-grained variation from the Ingres paper which had been designed to provide a good adhesion to charcoal.
As in his paintings, the observer must take away from the sheet for appreciating the details of the work. The composition, often in close-up, is made of large shadowy masses.
In 1883, Seurat's very first participation in the Salon was a portrait of Aman-Jean executed in that technique. The brightness of the shirt collar makes forget that no lines are delimiting the figure in the half-light.
Drawn in the same experimental phase around 1882, a Lady Holding a Bouquet, Conté crayon on Michallet paper 31 x 24 cm, was sold by Sotheby's on November 10, 2014 for $ 5.3M from a lower estimate of $ 2M, lot 8. The image is shared by Wikimedia. The faceless standing silhouette with a fashionable hat is backlit against an illuminated doorway.
It thus appears that Seurat in his mid twenties had been the inventor of impressionist drawing before being the pioneer of post-impressionism. His famous practice of divisionism for the illusion of colors in a painting is indeed a consequence of his experiments about contrasts in black and white drawings.
He rubs a black Conté graphite crayon on papier Michallet, varying the pressure to obtainthe whole scale of grays. Surfaces left blank provide a contrast in brightness with the rest of the image. The Michallet paper is a coarse-grained variation from the Ingres paper which had been designed to provide a good adhesion to charcoal.
As in his paintings, the observer must take away from the sheet for appreciating the details of the work. The composition, often in close-up, is made of large shadowy masses.
In 1883, Seurat's very first participation in the Salon was a portrait of Aman-Jean executed in that technique. The brightness of the shirt collar makes forget that no lines are delimiting the figure in the half-light.
Drawn in the same experimental phase around 1882, a Lady Holding a Bouquet, Conté crayon on Michallet paper 31 x 24 cm, was sold by Sotheby's on November 10, 2014 for $ 5.3M from a lower estimate of $ 2M, lot 8. The image is shared by Wikimedia. The faceless standing silhouette with a fashionable hat is backlit against an illuminated doorway.
It thus appears that Seurat in his mid twenties had been the inventor of impressionist drawing before being the pioneer of post-impressionism. His famous practice of divisionism for the illusion of colors in a painting is indeed a consequence of his experiments about contrasts in black and white drawings.
